With the advent of fluoridated toothpaste and fluoridated water, the incidence of cavities in children and adults has dropped dramatically. However, the need for proper oral hygiene remains paramount. Proper brushing insures that cavities will remain few, and moreover, reduces the likelihood of gum diseases such as gingivitis and the like.
Parents may not have sufficient time or energy to properly supervise their children's brushing habits on a regular basis. Children, even after being instructed in proper brushing techniques, may lapse into a more lackadaisical schedule without constant supervision and instruction from adults. The reasons are relatively simple. Tooth brushing is a relatively boring and unpleasant task, and children have largely short attention spans. As a result, a child is often likely to be distracted by a television programme, video game, or the like, and may foreshorten brushing, if not foregoing it altogether.
There have been proposed many different forms of tooth brush holders which are normally adapted to be connected to a vertical surface although, in some cases, they are associated with a glass and these have, quite generally, served their primary purpose quite effectively. One such prior art toothbrush holder, Gertler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,151, goes one step further by providing a recorded message which is played when a toothbrush is removed from the holder.
The recorded message in Gertler may comprise a melody or message or combination, which may be used to encourage proper oral hygiene (Gertler, Col. 3, lines 28-35). However, the apparatus of Gertler has some limitations. In particular, gertler uses a primitive recording disk or tape which may only play one message. Moreover, the primitive on/off switch of Gertler only serves to initiates playback of the message when brushing starts. If the toothbrush is replaced prematurely, the message continues to play to the end of the melody or message in progress.
Moreover, the apparatus of Gertler is rather bulky, relying upon a recording disk system located in the base. In a typical bathroom, shelf or counter space at a vanity or sink may be at a premium, and consumers may dislike clutter in the bathroom. The large base of Gertler may occupy too much space to make the apparatus acceptable to consumers.